Relationship between maternal folate status and foetal hypotrophy in a population with a good socio-economical level.

A longitudinal study was conducted on 2 groups of pregnant women according to the presence (n = 8) or absence (n = 13) of IUGR through echography at the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Mothers answered a general questionnaire, including some alimentary data. Anthropometric measures from the newborns were recorded. Haematological parameters and folate status of the women at 32 weeks of pregnancy and of the mother and child at delivery were assessed. Although a significant cross correlation (p < 0.02) between the newborns' folate status and the mother's one, including folate intake, was obtained, no relationship was found between birthweight and folate status at delivery. In contrast, the study evidences significant correlations between birthweight and both folate status of the mother at the third trimester of pregnancy (p < 0.02) and the decrease of her erythrocyte folate level before delivery (p < 0.01). In our sample, folate status of the pregnant woman at the third trimester offers a predictive value of the newborn weight, but this result remains to be confirmed in a larger study.